ABSTRACT
In this chapter, women (and men) street vendors, ubiquitous at the edge of urban Nepali streets, are brought into a spotlight. Here, again, the status of ‘workers’ is at stake, but in the way very different from the case of domestic workers. Unlike those engaging in domestic work (or other employment), vendors are on their own and not working for somebody else; they are ‘self-employed’, employer cum employee in one person. With the progress in their recent organizing efforts in labour movement, they successfully earned relatively stable livelihood by engaging in business on public lands and are very much appreciating it. On the other, they generally moan about their not having more secure, off-street base for living and are striving for its attainment. Looking into their work as experienced by themselves as well as their collective organizing efforts, the question whether they are, or are aspiring to be, workers or (peti) entrepreneurs is explored.
